yeah right...and birds getting sucked into engines don't cause crashes...ignorant fools

I'd rather NOT be in a plane digesting one of these paper and string lanterns but in saying that and IMHO the damage would be far less than a > 1 Kg bird. I mean these engines are now designed to survive terrible punishment eg heavy hail, storms, sand, FOD etc.

yeah right...and birds getting sucked into engines don't cause crashes...ignorant fools

My thoughts exactly. More likley since they fly every night of the year. Seriously, what are the odds?

And drive on a motorbike without a helmut. What the hell. We are all going to die sooner or later.

Right you are so why not now? You go first.

Till a plane crashes, nothing will stop these people. Third world Thainess.

No airplane is going to crash from a lantern.

If jet engines can withstand a deblading* safely then they can withstand a Thai lantern!

The blades on a RR engine are cast as one piece crystal titanium alloy, the lantern is made from very thin soft wire.

Its a bit like saying a banana could damage a blender...

*when a compressor fan blade breaks off and passes through the engine.

yeah right...and birds getting sucked into engines don't cause crashes...ignorant fools.....

OK That's it !!!!! .....Ban all birds from flying in Thailand.....lol.

I have actually been on an SIA 747 that hit a bird. We dumped fuel whilst circling over Catalina Island before landing back at LAX. Most well run airfields keep an eye on birds and deploy bird scaring measures in the interest of safety to both passengers and bird.

How did releasing hot air balloon cause 30 black outs last year? I'm serious. I just want to know. Did they crash into power generators? Wires?

Year before last, riding around, went round a corner and a lantern had flown into a mass of wires and power cables, once the cables caught fire, it spread very quickly and before I knew it (to my surprise) the whole soi was filled with thick black acrid smoke and was pitch black! So easily happens!

As for a lantern bringing down a plane? I can't see a normal size lantern doing that bearing in mind they test the engines by firing chickens at them!

BUT saying that, last year in Sansai we had a lantern land in our garden that was HUGE, about 5 feet in diameter made from thick (3cm diameter) bamboo and the balloon itself was huge, that would have caused a plane a serious problem should it have been digested by an engine!

Sending the floating lanterns aloft is certainly a traditional event at that time of year. The Thais like all events that are "sanuk" ie "fun," so I don't think they'll ever stop the event or be able to enforce a ban. The best move was to cancel flights during the time they mentioned.

at the number of people as afraid of life, as they are of death...

After watching the movie THE BEACH I always wanted to let one fly. Would wwant it to be very dark, some beach somewhere. Looks cool . Sorry mother nature

We also need to stop corruption, but well let's deal with the lanterns first.

Great....and let's ban water throwing on Songkran...after all, someone may drown. And while we're at it, let's ban spicy Thai food, after all think of all those taste buds that die, and of course, pretty girls (traffic distractions), monks (they can trip over their robes!), extreme sport along the mae sai valley, elephants (too dam_n big).....what do you think this is, Chiangmai???????

Yes, the water throwing during Songkran has turned into madness, it's very unpleasant to get splashed with water in buckets and hoses, in addition this splashing also causes motorbike and car accidents, and this should therefore be controlled.

Spicy Asia food also have some negative aspects, that is to say strong smelling during cooking and eating, and after eating the consumers have a long bad breath due to reflux.

Till a plane crashes, nothing will stop these people. Third world Thainess.

No airplane is going to crash from a lantern.

I'm more concerned about the blackouts.

I think a ban on tourists and all non Chinese Thais is in order.

How did releasing hot air balloon cause 30 black outs last year? I'm serious. I just want to know. Did they crash into power generators? Wires?

Most likely fires.In our area last year there were 2 house fires,grass fire at servo & many small & a large bush fire that took nearly a day to get under control & extinguish.Grass & tree under Power line caught fire & knocked down Power lines.

Driving south on the canal road last night, the car in front of me swerved at the last minute to avoid a "semi inflated" lantern standing in the middle of his lane. I hope he checked his mirrors first

I have seen a few lately which look to have a type of small sky rocket attached on a delayed fuse. As it gets in the air the rocket gives the lantern a boost. ( I can't think of a better description than rocket)

I guess people will try to outdo each other and the whole festival will descend into madness in much the same way sorng kran has.

Not exactly a rocket, just a small firework type thingy that releases a shower of sparks like a large kiddie type sparkler.

Saw one last night near my place take off. It went well initially then completely fell off the lantern as was still a pretty good fire wherever it hit the ground.....

Good safe fun eh?

It is worth noting that they are not traditional thai forms of celebration. I believe theidea waS stolen from Korea a few years ago.

Till a plane crashes, nothing will stop these people. Third world Thainess.

Long live Loi Kratong and 'Third world Thainess', it's all the western grumps with their smug know it all comments that should be banned. If you can't work about all the Thai festivals and the magic they bring then why are you here?. I've yet to hear of a plane being downed by a lantern and most of the planes I've seen have 2 engines so the chances of both being crippled must be astronomical. As for the lanterns catching on electrical wires, well most cables are rat traps anyway waiting for the next accident to come along so maybe they need some culling. As for the blackouts, we seem to get one a week anyway without a festival so what's another one.